UK Police Identify Eight Victims of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults

British police have identified at least eight victims of organized drug-facilitated sexual assault after an international investigation into online forums where users share tactics for drugging and assaulting victims. The National Crime Agency said some victims were assaulted repeatedly in their own homes over many years without their knowledge.

The agency received a tip from German journalists about one forum and its offshoots, leading to identification of more than 270 individuals linked to the network.

The NCA has sent 210 intelligence packages to police forces, mostly overseas, including 15 packages to British forces. Eight suspected victims have been safeguarded and eight people have been arrested in Britain. Europol separately identified 156 victims and perpetrators in a related probe into online communities.

Officials said the crimes are no longer isolated and are enabled by networks that start on mainstream platforms before moving to encrypted spaces.

Leary, deputy director at the NCA, said offenders use these platforms to exchange tactics, seek advice on drugs, and coordinate assaults while minimizing detection. He noted that many victims do not remember the assaults. Helen Millichap, director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, urged anyone with concerns to contact police even without clear memories or proof.

Siobhan Blake, national CPS lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, said the abuse represents an ultimate breach of trust occurring in victims' homes.